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During her first few years in the WNBA, Erin Thorn's biggest victory was simply getting on the court.
A few minutes at the end of games. An inbounds play after a timeout. A substitution for an injured player.
The Brigham Young graduate embraced any chance to make an impression.
"Anybody who has a competitive bone in their body wants to be playing. But that is just unrealistic," Thorn said. "The best thing you can do is be ready when your number is dialed and make the most of the time you're given."
Thorn's patience has been rewarded this season. In the midst of her fifth year with the New York Liberty, the 5-foot-10 Orem native is posting career highs in nearly every statistical category.
Thorn, 26, is averaging 11.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 30.9 minutes per game. As the Liberty (10-9) emerge from the All-Star break, Thorn's stabilizing presence will be a key factor in their second-half charge for a playoff spot.
"Erin is someone younger players can look at for her perseverance," Liberty coach Pat Coyle said. "A lot of them come into the league now and think they are ready to play big minutes. Truth be told, they are not. It is hard to sit on the bench, but Erin did that and always kept herself ready and it's paying off."
The early part of Thorn's professional career was spent learning from veterans like Crystal Robinson, Vickie Johnson and Teresa Witherspoon.
But the Liberty roster has undergone a youth movement, and when the club traded fan favorite Becky Hammon to the San Antonio Silver Stars in a draft-day deal this year, Thorn was the beneficiary.
The sharp-shooting guard immediately capitalized on her increased playing time. She hit 7 of 10 three-pointers for a career-high 28 points in a first-week victory over the Chicago Sky to earn Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors.
"Obviously it helps to be on the court," said Thorn, BYU's career leader in three-pointers. "You can't score sitting on the bench. But we also have a great team and anybody can score on any given night inside and out. That makes us hard to defend for other teams."
While many players venture overseas in the WNBA's offseason to pursue more lucrative contracts, Thorn has stayed home the last two seasons to serve as the director of basketball operations for Jeff Judkins' staff at BYU.
The Mountain View High graduate believes the altered perspective has improved her savvy as a player.
"You get a different view on why coaches think the way they do and what they see," said Thorn, Utah's Gatorade Player of the Year in 1999. "That makes you better equipped to understand what the coach wants when you are out there even without the coach having to say it."
Thorn's breakout season has boosted BYU's profile with potential recruits, says Judkins.
"It's been a great tool for us to say one of our own players is in the WNBA, and it's also been great for our conference to let people know we do have a good conference," Judkins said. "I am really happy for Erin because she almost could have called it quits when she wasn't getting the opportunity, but she stuck it out and is playing really well."
Spending her summers in New York has allowed Thorn to get a taste of the big-city life. The small-town girl has done "all the tourist stuff" like visiting the Statue of Liberty, shopping along Fifth Avenue and attending several Broadway shows. Like her Liberty teammates, Thorn lives in a hotel suite with a small kitchen, a living room and bedroom.
"It is a much faster pace here than I am used to," Thorn said. "It is pretty much the total opposite of Utah, so it has been fun to see the differences and kind of adapt. But there is always something to do." Thorn spent the All-Star break in New York's training room rehabilitating a right ankle she recently sprained.
She wants to be at her best as the Liberty try to begin the second half of the season as strongly as they did the first, when they opened with a 5-0 record.
"I think we are starting to put it back together, and the last couple of games we have played pretty well," she said.
"We are a young team, and if we just play hard that can cover a lot of mistakes."